Suggestions For Linux XBMC Hardware
#1
Hi, I currently have an xbox that I've been using XBMC on for several years, since XBMP started. I've noticed that I'm watching more and more 720p video, and they will not play on the xbox. I'm ready to swap it out for a linux/windows server, but the hardware choices seem overwhelming. I've seen some of these new Ion chips, but they don't seem that much better than just building a fairly powerful computer from scratch with a good output card. I'm leaning towards linux since I'd like to run Asterisk on it for a PBX as well. Can anyone recommend hardware for this machine as far as output card/processor? I don't have an HDTV right now, but plan to get one soon. My budget is around $500 for the CPU/video card since I have many of the other parts. Thanks!

I forgot to mention It'd be ideal to be running mythv on this box as well, but it's not absolutely necessary.
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#2
Hey im using a 30€ Celeron Dual Core and a 15€ Geforce 8400 from Ebay and i can play all videos without any problems and thanks to VDPAU the HD stuff doesn't even need any CPU power.

So my advice i wouldn't spend so much money on CPU/GPU because you won't really benefit from it.
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#3
What about for input? Should I just skip the mythtv part?
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#4
shaklee39 Wrote:What about for input? Should I just skip the mythtv part?

The thing about ion is that you can build a box small and quiet, and that boots fairly quickly. If you do not need that, there are many other options, cheaper and/or more powerful. But I have an ION mini ITX board and are pretty satisfied.

For TV input I am using TVHeadEnd, I think it is the easiest option and is powerful enough for my needs, and it is developing with a nice speed. The TV server can be in the same box or on another one, no problem with that.
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#5
On a related note, is there a big difference between Windows/Linux versions? I've looked around and all the information about the differences seem outdated. I think that's probably the first thing I'll need to decide before buying hardware. I'm assuming that at least SOME of the functionality is not done since the Xbox version I'm used to.
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#6
$500 is a lot of money. You can get something a lot more powerful than ion, for example a Mac Mini with Nvidia gpu and a Core2Duo cpu. It is small, quiet, and is so power efficient in sleep that you don't have to turn it off. Maybe somebody else here can speak about how Linux runs on it.
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#7
shaklee39 Wrote:On a related note, is there a big difference between Windows/Linux versions? I've looked around and all the information about the differences seem outdated. I think that's probably the first thing I'll need to decide before buying hardware. I'm assuming that at least SOME of the functionality is not done since the Xbox version I'm used to.

Have you had a look at the following article yet (which has been mentioned here in this forum before):

The 5 best Linux HTPC Motherboards
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#8
Neil Wrote:$500 is a lot of money. You can get something a lot more powerful than ion, for example a Mac Mini with Nvidia gpu and a Core2Duo cpu. It is small, quiet, and is so power efficient in sleep that you don't have to turn it off. Maybe somebody else here can speak about how Linux runs on it.

Mac mini is basicly an ION PC?!?!?!
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#9
It's a more powerful PC.
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